Flying and crawling insects, including mosquitoes, ticks, flies, midges, chiggers, and fleas, often bite people. Although such insects are mostly a nuisance in North America, they can and do transmit to their bite victims more than 100 bacterial, protozoan, parasitic, and rickettsial diseases.
Mosquitoes transmit more diseases to humans than any other biting insect. Mosquitoes are the responsible for transmitting several forms of viral encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue fever, bancroftian filariasis, and epidemic polyarthritis. Malaria, which is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito, is responsible for millions of deaths annually. West Nile Virus (WNV), a deadly disease, is transmitted principally by mosquitoes, but also can be transmitted by Aedes, Anopheles, and other species.
Despite the need for an effective oral inhibitor for biting insects, no such agent has been identified thus far. The quest to develop the perfect topical insect repellent has been an ongoing scientific goal for years but has yet to be achieved. A distinction is made herein between insect repellents, which prevent biting insects from landing on a subject, and inhibitors of biting insects, which inhibit insects from biting a subject after landing.
Although a particular composition may have efficacy as both an inhibitor and a repellant of biting insects, commercially available formulations typically act as insect repellants. Commercial insect repellents may generally be characterized as involving topical application, usually are effective for limited duration, may cause severe irritation of skin or mucous membranes, may be abraded or washed off, possess a pungent odor and greasy texture, and arguably may have toxic side effects.
The effectiveness of any insect repellent is reduced by abrasion from clothing; evaporation and absorption from the skin surface; wash-off from sweat, rain, or water; a windy environment; and high ambient temperatures. Typical commercial insect repellents include DEET, i.e., N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide which remains the standard of currently available insect repellents, e.g., OFF, Cutter, Repel brands. Other commercial brands are Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil (Avon Corporation), Citronella, Soybean Oil, and Eucalyptus.
There exist compositions which when orally ingested inhibit insects from biting subjects and/or reduce inflammation, swelling, redness and/or itching of the localized region of an insect bite. Such compositions may be provided in any form known in the art, but in one embodiment come in the form of a water-based solution suitable for administration with a spray bottle, for example by spraying into the mouth of a subject, followed by ingestion. Other compositions exist in forms suitable for human oral and/or external application that include one or more vitamins combined with one or more herbs to inhibit mosquitoes from biting subjects.
Such known compositions for oral and/or external application may be provided in a variety of forms, including but not limited to a dilute liquid, a concentrated liquid, a more concentrated cream, a paste or a hydratable dry composition. Other possible forms may include solutions, lotions, creams, gels, aerosol and pump sprays, and impregnated towelettes.
Thus, in general, certain known treatments are directed to minimize, inhibit and/or prevent insect bites. Other treatments are directed to treating a subject after they are bitten by an insect. Applicants' invention described and claimed herein is directed to a kit and method for both minimizing, inhibiting and/or prevent insect bites and treating a person after being bitten by an insect.
Applicants are aware of the following references:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,115,286 to Meredith describes methods and compositions to inhibit insects from biting a subject. The compositions may be administered orally, e.g., a spray delivered to the mouth. The compositions and methods are said to reduce swelling, itching, redness and/or inflammation of the local area of an insect bite. The compositions described include one or more herbs selected from the group consisting of rice bran, peppermint, barley grass, lobelia; chlorella, watercress, alfalfa and parsley and one or more vitamins selected from the group consisting of thiamin (B-1), riboflavin (B-2), niacin (B-3), pantothenic acid (B-5), pyridoxine (B-6), folic acid (B-9), cyancobalamin (B-12), choline, inositol, d-biotin, para-aminobenzoic acid, and lecithin. Administration of effective amounts of the compositions is sufficient to inhibit insects from biting and/or treat insect affected areas of a subject. In particular, there is described the oral administration of a composition containing niacin (75-300 mg) composition for the prevention of insect bites in a subject.
US Published Application No. 2006/0178368 (and U.S. Pat. No. 7,026,319) to Valletta discloses the use of niacin in a vitamin combination for the systemic treatment of itching and of pruritis. In particular, the reference describes the use of a combination of two vitamin compounds, i.e. riboflavin (also known as vitamin B2) and nicotinic acid (also referred to as niacin) or their corresponding amides, i.e. nicotinamide or niacinamide (also known as vitamin PP) for the systemic treatment of various forms of itching.
US Published Application No. 2006/0171936 to Gueniche et al. discloses a cosmetic and/or dermatological composition containing microorganisms intended for treating and/or preventing reactive sensitive skin, for example, associated with dryness of the skin. The reference teaches the use of such micro-organisms contained in an oral composition that additionally contains niacin as an active agent for treating and/or preventing reactive sensitive skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,520 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,475 to Toma et al. describe a composition and a method for preventing or reducing contact dermatitis. The composition contains a polysaccharide, a low molecular weight, synergistic saccharide, a solvent, and optionally an additive material. A topical triclosan composition is used as an additive material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,709 to Schulz et al. describes a protective skin lotion comprising an organophilic clay including bentonite, a volatile alcoholic solvent and a cosmetically inert emollient vehicle, a thickener and water. The lotion is capable of protecting the skin from the effects of exposure to irritants and allergens, particularly those produced by toxic plants such as poison ivy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,607 to Minerath et al. describes a method of sequestering skin irritants with a composition comprising modified and non-modified clays.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,763 to Scivoletto describes compositions for skin treatment that include nicotinamide, nicotinic acid, and nicotinic esters as active ingredients. The compositions are applied topically to the skin to treat skin conditions including acne, fine lines and age spots, itching and pain from insect bites, bee stings, fungi (including athletes foot and jock itch), flaking and/or scaly skin (including dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis and heat rash), and burns.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,343 to Jampani et al. describes the use of antimicrobial alcohol-containing compositions containing triclosan for disinfecting surfaces and providing therapeutic benefits.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,361 to Powell, Jr. et al. describes an allergen absorbent and blocking aerosol composition for topical application to the skin that contains a highly activated organophilic clay that blocks and absorbs the allergenic oils of toxic plants such as poison ivy and the like.
WO 2005004598 to Niinivaara et al. describes an insect repellant composition that includes water, garlic, honey, lemon juice, menthol, alcohol and other ingredients.
None of these references teach or suggest the kit or method described and claimed herein for inhibiting or reducing the incidence and effect of insect bites.